What does 'rank protected' mean in Fortnite?

The first time I saw the 'rank protected' message appear in Fortnite, I wasn't quite sure what it meant, or what I'd done to earn that little bonus.

I'd been eliminated about 10 seconds after landing on the map, so it wasn't exactly a strong showing, and I don't think my matches from the previous day were any better. Fortunately, there's a simple explanation for why this message appears.

What does 'rank protected' mean?

If you see the 'rank protected' message appear in Fortnite, that means you haven't lost any points for your mediocre performance. This only applies to your first Ranked match of the day, so after that, you're on your own.

In a tweet shared on October 23, 2023, the official Fortnite Status account announced the Daily Ranked Loss Protection feature and confirmed that "your first match will not reduce your Ranked progress if you performed poorly".

Don't worry, there's no shame in having an off day - how do you think I found out about this feature?

How do you protect your rank in Fortnite?

Every player gets Daily Ranked Loss Protection for the first match of the day, regardless of your current rank, so it's a good idea to just play one Ranked match a day and you'll never have to worry about doing badly and going down a rank.

I'd recommend doing this for as long as you need while you get your bearings with Ranked mode, as the competition is often a lot fiercer than in regular Battle Royale mode. This is because everyone is gunning to win, rather than just having fun with their friends.

Daily Ranked Loss Protection resets at 5PM PT / 8PM ET / 1AM BST every day, although when I played today I saw the 'rank protected' message for two matches in a row, which was unexpected. Maybe they just felt sorry for me.

Now that you know what 'rank protected' means, visit our Fortnite homepage for more guides like the rarest skins of all time, the best landing spots to get a head start, and the best weapons for your loadout.